A Samsung factory dumped 3 million liters of sulfuric acid into a river, “virtually no aquatic life survives”

An environmental report from Austin Texas reveals that there was a massive spill of chemicals from a Samsung semiconductor factory into a nearby stormwater pond. Some 3 million liters of sulfuric acid were discharged, flowing into a nearby tributary for more than 100 days. The result of the contamination is not surprising, since the report says that “virtually no surviving aquatic life” throughout the affected waterway.

A Samsung spokesman said: “Most of the sewage was contained; however, part of it reached a small tributary that is upriver”. After discovering this leak, Samsung said it has stopped the spill, hired a cleanup specialist and is taking steps to find a solution to the problem and “restore the effluent.” Fortunately, the main branch of the river seems not to be affected by the catastrophe.

The researchers confirmed that the discharge of sulfuric acid had ceased, and between measurements on January 14 and 19, they found that the tributary had returned to near-normal acidity levels.

At this time, the long-term impact of the sewage spill is not easy to know and will take years.

Building a large semiconductor plant in a city can be a good thing for progress, the economy and jobs, but many times, as happened in this case, a huge price is paid with the environment. In Samsung’s case, countless fish and amphibians have paid the price with their lives.

Source: CBS